Here's a political development I didn't expect to see...Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the original "squad" leader, is apparently too moderate for part of the Democratic Socialists of America. The DSA's Liberation Caucus, a faction that openly describes itself as Marxist-Leninist-Maoist, is rejecting the idea of AOC becoming the socialist movement's presidential standard-bearer in 2028.

Why? They say she's retreating from socialist politics. They're angry about her positions surrounding Israel and Palestine. They're angry that she's backed away from the "defund the police" politics of 2020. And they weren't amused when AOC recently looked back at that era and joked that "Woke 1 was crazy." The caucus went considerably further, calling her an "opportunist dilettante" and arguing she's no longer sufficiently committed to socialist principles.

There's a larger fight happening here that's worth watching. AOC built her national reputation as one of the most prominent figures on America's political left. Now, as speculation grows about a possible 2028 presidential run, she's showing signs of trying to broaden her appeal and some of the activists to her left aren't interested in coming along.

That's a fascinating problem for AOC...how do you move toward the political center enough to compete nationally without losing the movement that helped make you a national figure in the first place? When even AOC is getting attacked for being too moderate, you get a pretty good idea of just how far left the progressive movement has become.